Opposition leaders slams Rajnath Singh over remarks on Jawaharlal Nehru

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. File pic

Several Opposition leaders on Wednesday slammed Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks after he claimed that the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds. The Opposition also accused him and the BJP of distorting historical facts.

While addressing a gathering on Tuesday at Sadhli village near Vadodara as part of a 'Unity March' to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Singh said, "Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid (in Ayodhya) using public funds. If anyone opposed this proposal, it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born to a Gujarati mother. He didn't allow the Babri Masjid to be built using public funds."

Hitting back, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the remarks made by Singh are aimed at distracting attention from real issues that need to be discussed.

"These are all distractions. There are many other real issues that need to be discussed. They create a new distraction every day so that we are unable to discuss the real issues of the people," the Wayanad MP asserted.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Chandigarh, Manish Tewari, also slammed Singh, stating that the Defence Minister should focus on strategic challenges "instead of twisting and turning history to suit his narrative".

Adding to the criticism, Imran Masood, Congress' Lok Sabha MP from Saharanpur, questioned Singh's claim.

Masood, while talking to the media, asserted, "I don't know why he is making such remarks. We only know of one historical document. If it concerns Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, they should have the document...."

He further said, "Nobody will accept it just because he says so. Yes, there is one document in which Sardar Patel took action to ban the RSS... All of this was done by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. His roadmap is the very path on which the country is progressing today. He also fostered scientific thinking."

Along with the Congress, other Opposition parties also criticised the Defence Minister's remarks. Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Badaun, Dharmendra Yadav, emphasised that Rajnath Singh should focus on defence issues.

"Rajnath Singh is a very experienced leader and India's defence minister, and he should focus on providing facilities and other conveniences to our armed forces and fighters... I believe the defence minister may not be fully aware of such matters. You know how the Bharatiya Janata Party presents historical facts, and I think the entire country understands this," said Yadav.

(With inputs from PTI)